EVARI IS THIS THE E-BIKE OF THE FUTURE?
Fresh on the back of an international award, Hertfordshire start-up Evari has turned heads with a sleek new approach to electric bike construction. Cyclingelectric visited the design studio to watch the magic happen…
Alot has been said lately on the gradual integration of technology traditionally found on motor vehicles making its way through to the bike world. Years ago, the bike industry coined the phrase ‘smart bike’, but as the pace of development has accelerated the term is rarely used today. Most electric bikes now carry some technology formerly considered smart; even at the entry level it’s now not uncommon to find lighting paired with accelerometers capable of enhancing rear light visibility under braking.
Their appearance on the market may have been slowed by the supply chain’s staggered ability to meet demand for key electronics recently, but development behind the scenes has only picked up in pace. That much was evident at one of the key international bicycle trade fairs in Friedrichshafen in Germany recently, where the annual Eurobike Awards tasked a panel of judges with whittling down over 200 innovations to a small pool pushing the envelope. Among those gonged in the start- up category, Evari Bikes was one of a few from the UK to gain recognition, the judges delivering the verdict “it’s like driving a Porsche”.
Pulling up to Craig Mcdonald’s Hertfordshire design studio we wanted to find out whether that endorsement was simply a recognition of the sleek carbon monocoque curves that define a rather unique- looking electric bike, or whether it’s the technology under the skin that has earned the critics’ praise.
“The Evari is built not just for the final mile, but for the entire journey,” starts Mcdonald. “I want to deliver something that helps people do 20 miles on a bike. If we can chip into those journeys, that’s when you start taking cars out of the equation, which is the challenge for society as it stands. There were hardly any cars on the road during the first bout of Covid-19 and
it was amazing to see so many people cycling to get around, but no the traffic has come back worse than before.”
In Britain, 66% of journeys made are under five miles, a comfortable cycling distance, yet uptake remains low, largely because of the perception of safety on the roads. Incidents where injury occurs have been steadily dropping and relative to miles cycled the rates are low, but nonetheless many would-be cyclists want a little extra confidence before taking to the saddle. In designing its premium electric bike, Evari has thought about the differences it could make to a bike commuter’s ride and concluded that automotive familiarity in the features list is no bad thing.
Tackling another commuter fear, bike theft, Mcdonald has integrated a chip into the top tube panelling that traces the bike’s live location and status and syncs that information with a mobile app in development, giving the Evari owner full visibility on where their bike is at all times.
Of specific interest is the subject of helping a rider both cover ground and do so safely. Mcdonald is pitching the Evari as a competitor to brands like Stromer, which has not been shy in cornering the segment of the market where the ‘electric bike’ is capable of greater speed and so becomes a ‘speed pedelec’. The distinction is made at 15.5mph, the speed where legislation says the electric bike ceases to be a bicycle and instead, categorically speaking, is considered an electric moped. For such vehicles, things like insurance, an MOT, VED (presumably at a zero rate), a mopedrated helmet and a licence plate on the bike are all currently mandatory. What’s more, they cannot be used on bike paths.
“The Evari will be designed to be able to transition in line with the regulations, if and when they evolve,” Mcdonald says, emphasising that customers wishing to go down the speed pedelec route will be guided by a specialist retail partner on their responsibilities at the point of purchase.
“Evari’s bikes are built to this standard so that we can give the customer the option in the future. Our integrated Supernova lighting meets German standards for faster vehicle types, offering high and low beam control and the brakes are the bolstered Magura MT7, designed specifically to cope with the speed pedelec’s needs.”
The company is not yet in mass production, opting to start small to test the
“The Evari will be designed to transition with the regulations, if and when they evolve”
marketplace first. “We don’t need to rush, we want a high- quality mature product,” says Mcdonald, with a view to a longterm focus on both the e-bike and speed pedelec markets. Initially, the Evari will be limited to mainland Europe, but all being well with the early production it won’t be long before a network of UK bike shops will be displaying its various iterations.
Dotted around Mcdonald’s studio is a singlespeed build; another with low- noise, high performance Onyx Racing hubs; a premium Enviolo Automatiq option with stepless shifting and even a Rohloff E14 Speedhub iteration. While in the current climate prices are described as fluid, we’re told to expect a ballpark retail range of £6,500 to £9,000, depending on the spec.
At just shy of 17kg, the Evari is seriously light for an electric bike stuffed to the brim with technology. The carbon monocoque frame is as sleek on the inside as the out, relying on a patented EPS inner mould curing technology, ensuring the weave is uniformly compressed and thus both strong and efficient. While you’ll never see inside, this gives great peace of mind for servicing, considering all of the cabling is hidden discreetly within the frame, thus preserving the clean lines.
All four of the likely models rely on a Gates Carbon Drive belt paired to Bosch Performance Line CX motors. Tucked flush into the top tube’s service panel is Bosch’s Kiox display, an immediate guide to the bike’s condition with extra features on hand as you need them. With this system, over-the-air updates will always guarantee your bike is running in line with the latest software updates.
Evari’s own dashboard app is expected to be delivered with the bike – though you can rely on the integrated Bosch display too. The software Mcdonald has developed feeds back a range of metrics including journey-planning via a customised display, ride data, a compass and speedometer readings. It will also provide access to the owner’s manual and service documents, high- quality video tutorials on getting the most from your bike, plus it will give you servicing reminders to make sure it is kept in top condition.
Mcdonald is tight- lipped on what the future holds for his electric bike, but it’s clear from a quick zip around the country lanes of Hertfordshire that there’s room for the current package to grow with technology coming to market. We hear another transferable digital technology more associated with the automotive world, namely digital tyre pressure reporting, is just one innovation being experimented with.
If this is not already the electric bike of the future, it’s armed to the teeth with futureproofing just waiting to deploy.